October 19 – Nafplio, Greece

Today we visited the ruins of Mycenae, the capital of the Mycenaeans, who won the Trojan War and dominated Greece 1,000 years before Socrates. We marveled at the Cyclopean wall, entered through the Lion’s Gate, took the slippery and dark path into the ancient cistern and explored the giant tholos (tombs). We wondered at placement of staircases, saw evidence of indoor plumbing and learned about linear B writing. (An ancient form of writing used by proto classical cultures like Mycenae.) We saw beautiful artifacts and intricately designed and decorated pottery that we can’t believe survived 3,500 years, let alone the 5,000 years that they believe some of the artifacts have survived. This active archaeological site captivated both our imagination and attention, bringing to life some of the Greek myths we’ve been studying.